Martin Conway
Administrative Panel · Independent · Ireland
“I too would like to welcome Leryn to Seanad Éireann. It is a very special trip back to Ireland for her and I hope she enjoys her time here. I also echo the good wishes and the thanks to Martin and all his team who make life so much easier for us here, and I hope all colleagues across the House have an enjoyable summer.”
“I have come across a number of examples lately that are quite distressing. I have to do further research but if the information that has been brought to my attention is correct, it is very distressing. I also seek a further debate on tourism. We have the Walker Cup coming to Lahinch in September and people are very excited about.”
“Finally, I commend Cara Darmody, someone the Leader knows very well, who is at the gates of Leinster House doing her two-day protest. I think it is her second in the last year. I commend her on what she has achieved through her advocacy and her campaigning and what she will achieve. I know the Leader would agree with me on that.”
“I support Senator Harmon in her call and proposition regarding Bessborough. I did not realise that planning permission had been granted. It is horrendous. With all the land throughout the entire country, surely to God, we can deal with a housing crisis in a more humane and respectful way than granting planning permission on that site.”
“If they did, I have no doubt it would raise awareness. It would develop a respect for the water and save many lives. I also believe every young person should undergo first aid training before they leave school. Again, it is not a difficult thing to provide.”
“I acknowledge the work that has been done to improve things in Limerick and the announcement by the Minister for Health in recent weeks that there is going to be a completely new hospital built, which will be co-located with UHL and will have its own emergency department. That is extremely welcome. I am a realist.”
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“You can be a Member of the Oireachtas with a disability and operate as one. It has not always been easy. People tend to maybe unintentionally overlook it, but it happens from time to time. I remember a number of years ago there was a conference in Dublin Castle hosted by the Oireachtas on equality, diversity and disability. All of the speakers were notable people who had achievements in their own right, but the one person who was not asked to speak at the event was me, someone living and working as a politician and an Oireachtas Member. To be fair to the then Ceann Comhairle, he was horrified when he realised I was not asked to speak. Those are the simple things that make a difference and affect people. We have a major problem with the lack of access to employment for people with disabilities. I am one of the lucky ones.”
“You could not have any disagreement with him and the manner in which he articulated the micro challenges on a daily and hourly basis of having a loved one with a disability. There are over 50,000 adults living at home. It is horrendous when you think of it. My experiences dealing with people in the Houses of the Oireachtas have always been positive. I think everybody is supportive of equality and equality of opportunity and ensuring we live in an equal society. However, being supportive of it and making it happen are two different things. Over my 15 years here I always decided to turn the other cheek when something happened, because I considered it an absolute privilege to serve as a Member of the Oireachtas. It was my job to portray the most positive image for other people with disabilities.”
“The Minister of State is welcome to the House. I know from my experience how committed she is to this portfolio, how she wanted this portfolio and how she is going to make a success of the portfolio. She is not in office that long. We need to give her an opportunity to activate her intentions, which are fantastic. I also pay tribute to the former Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Senator Rabbitte, who we are lucky is now a Member of this House. She did amazing work when she was in that Department. Her door was always open. She always listened and she did everything she could. She made a difference, which is something anyone can be proud of when they do it. That said, I find myself in agreement with Senator Clonan.”
“I agreed with the Cathaoirleach before this debate that I would get an opportunity to speak. It seems ironic that the longest serving Member with a disability in either House of the Oireachtas - 15 years this month - would not have an opportunity to speak in this debate.”
“I want to put it to the Minister that maybe it is an appropriate time to look at a community court in Dublin city and at expanding nationally the very successful pilot programme on restorative justice that was rolled out in south Dublin and Tipperary, as was agreed unanimously by the Members of this House back in 2013 and 2014.”
“The Courts Service does great work and the addiction services do great work, as do the homeless and housing services. However, they could be knitted together in a one-stop-shop scenario in circumstances where some of the justice issues are clearly health issues and should not really be categorised as relating to the area of justice. We have had the debate on many occasions regarding instances where people are found guilty of drug possession and so on and that this should be looked at as a health issue in the first instance. I think Governments are very much coming around to that school of thought. The justice committee at the time did some very good work both on restorative justice and on the concept of community courts.”
“Furthermore, in February 2014 I tabled a Private Member's motion in this Chamber on the need for Dublin to look at a community court similar to the community court in Times Square in New York, which completely reduced the crime levels there. It was kind of a one-stop shop in terms of addiction services, courts services, financial supports, advice and so on. Again, the Senators who where here at the time supported the motion unanimously. It was a different time and there was financial difficulty in the country, so the resources were not there but the policy was accepted as a good policy. The concept of a pilot community court in Dublin was supported at the time by the Minister. Unfortunately, it has not happened. Twelve years later, there has not been a pilot.”
“I did it on the basis of a very successful pilot programme in south County Dublin, in the Tallaght area, and in the Nenagh area of north Tipperary. Restorative justice practices were piloted in these areas. It showed clear evidence that there was a 70% reduction in people reoffending. When the restorative practices were engaged with and it was done in a structured and professional way, it clearly resulted in a drop in crime. When a young fellow robs a handbag from a lady and does not realise the devastating impact that has on that person's life, when they do eventually come face to face under proper structures, and that chap understands the impact it has had, it does lead to a reduction in reoffending. It is proven the world over that restorative practices work.”
“Perhaps it is not at the level we would like, but I am aware of the Minister's commitment to this. I would absolutely support him in any calls he makes for additional funding to deal with it, particularly in the in the context of women's prisons and the incarceration of women. The situation in Limerick is particularly troubling. I echo Senator Rabbitte's comments. An excellent female prison is now part of the campus in Limerick. Unfortunately, however, it is way overcrowded. That is only opened a couple of years so clearly there is an urgent need to address this issue. Back in March 2013 in this House, I tabled a Private Member's motion on restorative justice. I was Fine Gael spokesperson on justice at the time.”
“I echo Senator Boyhan's commendation of the Minister regarding his coming before the House. Lots of Ministers send in junior Ministers. While they have a very important role to play, it is great to engage with the senior Minister. I thank Senator Boyhan for proposing that we have this debate. The situation in Irish prisons is completely unacceptable, as I think the Minister agrees. There are two ways of dealing with it. The obvious one is capacity. We have a growing population, so we are clearly going to have a growing prison population as well. Sadly, it does go hand in hand that the more people we have, the more likely it is that there is going to be a requirement for additional prison spaces. I think we are dealing with that with an extra €60 million or €70 million this year.”
“We should be the solution, and be finding the solution, to this hate speech and misinformation on social media. We have the ability in this country and the intelligence. We have the technological expertise to find a way. We should not be looking to Europe, the United States or other countries to resolve this problem. This problem is one that we can find the solution to. I do not have the solution because I am not a tech expert but the expertise is in this country because we have created so much in the tech world over the years. I urge that some sort of a structure or formula be found whereby we can channel the expertise and the experts in technology in this country to find a solution to these awful problems.”
“Senator Byrne's point on the proliferation of these awful-looking shops the length and breadth of the country was well made. I note in Ennis how a fantastic music shop that we all grew up with is now a vape shop. We need to address this. Perhaps we could have a debate on it at some stage. Today, the HSE was at the health committee on the matter of vaccines. One of the issues discussed was the misinformation that seemed to be proliferating on social media about vaccines. Last week, I spoke about the treatment of Senator Flynn by the social media platforms and by individuals on those platforms who were let away with it by them. We are a country that prides itself as being at the cutting edge of tech. Nine of the ten leading tech companies in the world have their European headquarters here in Ireland.”
“I fully agree with Senator Byrne. I note that, in Australia, vaping is illegal except if you have a prescription. As a result, the amount of vaping in Australia is among the lowest in the world. It is not good for you and it is not healthy.”
“When we take over the Presidency of the EU in July I sincerely hope the Government follows on in its commitment to support the Moldovans' ambition to become a full member of the European Union.”
“Last week I, as convener of the Moldovan parliamentary friendship group. along with the Leas-Chathaoirleach, was delighted to welcome President Sandu of Moldova to Leinster House for a meeting with the friendship group. It is most unusual to have a Head of State visit Leinster House itself. Most of the time they would come to Government Buildings and then move on to Áras an Uachtaráin and do all that very important work. However, I was delighted that, working with the ambassador, we were able to have President Sandu here for a very fruitful engagement. I wish to thank the Members of both Houses who were here on a non-sitting week for what was a very important meeting.”
“I stand in solidarity with Senator Flynn following her contribution this morning. The messages of hate she received are despicable. I sincerely hope An Garda Síochána deals with it expeditiously and brings these people to book for what they are doing. Her sentiments regarding the flag are very well articulated. It is incumbent on all of us to stand in solidarity with her at this time. I was very pleased, as others have articulated including the Deputy Leader, with the result of the election in Hungary. The new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, is a breath of fresh air. That election has shone a light on how most people in eastern Europe are European and are committed to the European project. That result defines Hungary as an absolute full member of the European Union in every sense of the word. European cohesion will benefit as a result.”
“I agree that reducing the time to dispose of an asset from seven years to two years is appropriate because the values of assets can go up or down. We may as well deal with them in real time where possible. If CAB requires the Oireachtas to continue amending the legislation to take account of developing trends, structures, systems and so on, and if we need to take a broad discretionary approach in regard to facilitating CAB in what it does so well, the Houses should not be found wanting in equipping it. Ireland was the standard-bearer in the nineties and early noughties in regard to proceeds of crime legislation. We should continue to be the flag-bearer in ensuring our legislation is effective, focused and meaningful and that we change it in real time to the greatest extent possible.”
“Reducing the threshold from €13,000 to €5,000, as was done in 2016, made a significant difference to the reach and relevance of CAB for ordinary communities around the country. As I have said previously, CAB has been emulated by other jurisdictions because they have seen the success it has had. What impresses me about this legislation is that it is evolving. It introduces the whole area of crypto and reduces from seven years to two years the wait time for disposing of assets seized as a result of organised crime. That moves and modernising the law. The cautiousness of previous Bills is no longer necessary because CAB is now seen as a standard pillar of our justice system. For this reason, we need to be a bit liberal in pushing the boat out on what can be done.”
“The sense of revulsion at the time created a major incident in government, which was responded to quickly by Nora Owen, who established the Criminal Assets Bureau. It was pioneering at the time and has proven to be one of the most effective tools we have in this country against organised crime. If you take away their wealth and what they cause crime for, you deal them a body blow. That is what the legislation has done. I was in the Chamber in 2016 when we amended the Act introduced in the mid-1990s. At that time, CAB could seize property valued at €13,000 and over. The case made at the time by the Minister and Senators, and the view among the public, was that CAB was dealing with the upper echelons of crime. As we know, there are small crime gangs the length and breadth of the country that wreak havoc in communities.”
“I, too, welcome the Minister to the House. He is a very positive contributor as a Minister. If only every other Minister were. I know it has been a difficult week, but that is politics and the joys and challenges of being in government. I know the Minister understands that and stands up to the plate when it comes to that. I consider this legislation is evolving in the sense that proceeds of crime and the mechanisms that criminal gangs use are constantly evolving and changing. We need to evolve and change our legislative framework to take account of that. Back in 1996, when Veronica Guerin was killed, I remember where I was. I was working in my father's shop in County Clare and a customer told me what had happened. Veronica Guerin had been in the news a lot prior to that because there had been a couple of attempts and threats on her.”
“Having engaged with many families, I am aware that the technical and bureaucratic nature of things, the time delays involved even when there is full agreement and the technicalities that arise can be daunting. There are other matters that I could talk about. Again, perhaps, I might do so at a different forum. There is capacity over the next three or four years to review and improve the 2015 Act. Our job is to improve legislation in a timely way. For many reasons, with the advancement in technology, care, etc., after ten years, elements of legislation can be obsolete and elements of it can be improved upon. Our job is to reflect what has happened in the meantime and to bring forward amending legislation. I urge the Minister of State, if she is not doing so already, to make space in her calendar to look at doing that.”
“Like the Minister of State, I am very pleased that the House came together, as it often does on legislation that matters to people and families in this country. I am not a member of the disability matters committee, but perhaps this is work that it has commenced. There are sections of the 2015 Act that need to be reviewed. We we discuss Bills, it is difficult to identify all of the possible consequences in theory. Sometimes there are none. More often than not, however, there are. When an Act becomes operational, there are consequences. There are families who would not necessarily all agree. The need to consult all children and other family members is certainly an issue. I am convinced that the area of wards of court and the legal elements relating to it can be streamlined.”
“I know that when she says something, she means it. She is one of the most sincere people in politics. I can say that, hand on heart. When she says that it will not be extended beyond October 2027, if she has anything to do with it, that will be the case. I take absolute solace from and have absolute confidence in that. I am happy to go with Senator McDowell and take confidence from the assurances provided by the Courts Service.”
“I am pleased to hear that the Minister of State has been engaging with the Courts Service and that specific arrangements for this purpose will be put in place over the coming weeks. This is a big deal for families. There are roughly 1,000 families in this situation. I have engaged with a couple of them in recent times and have engaged with others over the years. It takes over their lives completely, for obvious reasons. They love and care for the person concerned. The last thing we want to see, as Senator McDowell so eloquently put it, is a legal stampede. I have great confidence in the Courts Service. If it is giving an assurance to the Minister of State and her officials that this can be managed, that is great. I take absolute solace from that. I have known the Minister of State for a long time.”
“That is what it is, and for good reason. However, we need to look at the unintended consequences and the bureaucracy involved. This notion of having to consult all family members ahead of a ward of court hearing is causing problems. These are issues that need to be looked at. I am conscious that this is an amendment. I had hoped to bring up these issues on Second Stage, but did not get to do so. I just wanted to put them on the record.”
“The feedback I have received from solicitors in my constituency is that there is a lot more involved in the legislation regarding wards of court than was the case previously, and for good reason. That said, regarding the review that Senator McDowell spoke about, one Standing Order that is flagrantly not adhered to in either House is that relating to the early review of legislation. Through no fault of any Minister, but through the fault of every Minister, such reviews just do not happen. That is something the Oireachtas, as an institution, needs to look at. With regard to the target date of 26 April, having to go to court to get the extension will cause headaches for many people. I urge the Minister of State to find some way to address this, perhaps on Report Stage. Overall, we could describe this as emergency legislation.”
“I had hoped to speak on Second Stage, but it ran a little quicker than I expected. I welcome the Minister of State. What Senator McDowell has proposed, which is coming from the legal side, makes a lot of sense. I am sure the Minister of State will work around it to come up with a resolution that is favourable. I was in the House in 2015 when the legislation was the subject of a significant debate. Some who were in the House at that point but who are no longer Members made invaluable contributions in respect of the legislation. Of course, as with a lot of legislation, there are often unintended consequences. The 12-month extension that is proposed here makes a lot of sense.”
“I call on the Leader to request a more long-term study or review on how we can ensure lorry and truck drivers and the haulage industry in this country can remain competitive because of the supply chain necessitated due to our being an island nation. Yesterday's announcement has to be welcomed and will make a difference. It is to be hoped this is a short-term difficulty and the situation in Iran will rectify itself. Even if it does, it will take some time before changes percolate down to the pockets of consumers of this country. I welcome the announcement.”
“I want to put on the record my acknowledgement of the announcement by the Government yesterday in respect of dealing with the cost of fuel in light of the current situation in Iran. There has been significant engagement with the Irish Road Haulage Association, and there is a commitment to continue this engagement. We cannot forget that we are an island nation and rely on hauliers to transport goods in and out of our island. This is always going to be something that needs be kept under review. We perhaps need to consider an overall future strategy when it comes to excise duty in general. It is correct that we are collecting a significant amount of money in excise duties, more than many other European countries. The cost of fuel in Ireland is significantly higher than other countries. A more long-term review is needed.”
“It does, though, present us with an opportunity to build a state-of-the-art, world-class facility. I sincerely hope that does happen, because I am convinced that when the children’s hospital is opened and the people of Ireland see the services, supports and accommodation there, they will believe it is value for money. I would like to see the same happen in our region of the mid-west, namely, that eventually out of the suffering of the people in the mid-west in terms of access, particularly access to emergency care, we would see a world-class facility we can all stand over and that will benefit the health of the people of my region.”
“I share concerns that it is not geographically equal. It depends on where people are living in the country. We saw this particularly in relation to Donegal and the situation with the flights. In the mid-west, certainly, the system is great once you get into it, but the geographical challenges in getting into the system are a problem. We need to look at equality in terms of availability and access in a significant way. I also welcome the announcement of the purchase of 43 acres in Raheen. Of course, I would love to have seen that happening in Ennis but I am a realist and I understand that healthcare has to be regional. It is a shame that it was not done 20 years ago when “configuration” was the buzzword at the time, and we would not be where we are today.”
“At the outset, I acknowledge the Taoiseach’s visit to Washington. I think he handled it very diplomatically. He defended what he needed to defend and he said what he needed to say. Overall, the Government’s St. Patrick’s Day programme internationally, across Europe, the United States and other parts of the world, has gone exceptionally well. The benefit of this is significant. I listened with great interest to Senator Ryan talking about cancer services in the mid-west. I came in here with the intention of calling for a debate specifically on cancer services, the national cancer strategy and cancer in general because it is the daffodil period. I believe Daffodil Day is next week. So many citizens suffer from cancer and so many survive cancer now because of that significant improvement in treatments, services and supports.”
“No more than what Senator Kelleher alluded to in terms of legislation being abused by zero-alcohol products, I am afraid the high streets in most of our towns are really taking a downward spiral with all of these vape shops.”
“I had discussions on this issue with Bill Shorten, the then minister for disabilities in Australia, when he was here a couple of years ago. I have been saying for a long time that we need to look at making vaping illegal and having a requirement for people to have a prescription to purchase vaping products. I know this is punitive and may not happen but we need to escalate our legislation to deal with, for example, vaping shops on our high streets and vaping advertisements. We got rid of smoking advertisements at the point of sale and we need to do the same with vaping. There is a lot we can do before we ban it to reduce it. If we do not do so, we are not doing a service to our young people. I welcome the legislation but I sincerely hope that, when it goes through the Houses, we can add more to it, such as on the advertising of vapes.”
“I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Health of a new public health Bill to deal with vaping and vaping products. I believe it was brought as a memo to Cabinet yesterday. We have been very slow as country in dealing with what I now consider to be the scourge of vaping, certainly with regard to access to these pouches and other ancillary products by those aged under 18. I welcome the proposed legislation that will deal with all of these ancillary products that are an offshoot of tobacco and vaping. In Australia, vaping is illegal and people cannot get a vape unless they have a prescription from a GP that states it is required in order to give up smoking. This has dealt with the vaping problem that Australia faced.”
“It would not be the worst thing in the world to have a debate on the situation in Ukraine here with the appropriate Minister as a reminder of the absolute determination of Government policy to support Ukraine, but also to give us an opportunity to do a deeper dive than we are doing under the Order of Business into the present situation.”
“There are a lot of Ukrainian people who have, at this stage, set up home in Ireland and who are wondering about their future because we have a situation where they still only have temporary permission to remain. It has been a protracted period and we should bear in mind a child of four or five years of age who started school in 2022 has been attending four years and somebody who started secondary school is almost at their leaving certificate. We need to engage with our European colleagues and if that is not possible, we need to consider making decisions ourselves about temporary protection so those who have established very definite roots here have a pathway to remain, irrespective of what happens.”
“I wish the Leader all the very best in his latest endeavour. I join everyone on the common theme of today being the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Little did we think back then that it would be prolonged for four years. We certainly hoped Ukraine would prevail because of the almost universal international support, but the war has ground on. In spite of initial successes, it is very much an entrenched war. I echo what others have said about this needing to stop and how there must be no capitulation in any form to Vladimir Putin. We need to be as steadfast as we were on day one and as Europe was on day one. That needs to continue. I welcome the very strong comments made by the President of European Parliament Roberta Metsola in the Parliament today.”
“The Rotunda has excellent plans in terms of a critical care unit for very sick children and babies. It was very difficult listening to a spokesperson for the other side on "Morning Ireland" criticising the size of the building, maintaining that it would be another maternity hospital. That is not true. Providing care like that requires space. It requires accommodation for families. It requires accommodation for clinicians. It requires room. Given that it is located so close to the Mater Hospital, the decision to refuse beggars belief. The new legislation that is going through, which will identify critical infrastructure for the State in order that we can bypass all of this, needs to include this particular unit. To say I was absolutely stunned by the decision, like everyone else, is an understatement.”
“I think the Leas-Chathaoirleach meant to say there will be no homework for the rest of the week. I seek a debate on maternity services. The decision made by An Coimisiún Pleanála in the past week has baffled the country and defies logic. It has actually seen a situation where all parties are coming together in criticism. Dublin City Council granted planning permission and the inspector recommended that the planning permission be upheld but two of three members of the commission decided against it. There is something fundamentally wrong here when you are talking about critical health infrastructure. The Leas-Chathaoirleach comes the same region as I do and we know that if another maternity hospital is to be built, it needs to happen in Limerick.”
“In my home town of Ennistymon, a €1.5 million upgrade on footpaths is being proposed on the streets. Ennistymon is doing exceptionally well at the moment as a town and has huge potential to do even better. My fear is that these works will go on far longer than anticipated. I call on a debate for this issue but I am particularly calling on Clare County Council to make sure these works are done in a timely manner to respect small business, which struggle with the increase in costs.”
“Something is found, cables had to be put in when they dug up the ground or there was more there than what they had anticipated. I am thinking of the street project in Ennis. There is no doubt that the streets in Ennis look lovely since it has been concluded but the problem is it took two to three years to finish it and businesses faced enormous pressure during that period. On rates, I note the rates went up 8% in Ennis this year. However, there was no real embracing of businesses during this project. My fear is that some businesses did not survive and that was probably one of the reasons. In general, we need to talk about the time it takes to do these works and examine the contracts to see if there is a better and more timely way of doing them.”
“I propose we have a debate on the issue of public procurement and how difficult, regimented and how tight it is and how very much cost-based it is. We all know from getting work done in our own homes that sometimes the cheapest is not always the best. What concerns me is that there is only a small percentage in any contract set aside for quality of work - workmanship, track record and so on - whereas the bulk of it is on price. Price is absolutely important but the one thing I have found in recent years, and I am sure the Deputy Leader finds the same, is the number of public works that are taking forever to conclude. A streetscape project in County Clare recently went on for over two years. There is always a reason these things are delayed.”
“I again thank the Minister of State, and I suggest we resume a further discussion on this, maybe in three months' time when the new processes and procedures are worked out.”
“We do not have huge amounts of natural resources in this country, but the resources we have are our céad míle fáilte, our tourism industry, our beautiful landscape and so on. We need to protect it. I thank the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Browne, for coming to the House this evening. It has been a difficult period. I know some local authorities are excellent and others are not so good. Some local authorities are well funded, and others could do with more funding. We need to synchronise all of that. We need to have a standard approach and ensure that resources are not an issue. To be fair to the Government, over the past week or two I think resources were made available when resources were needed. Caps were lifted and increased when that was necessary too.”
“We have been talking about river flooding and overtopping and so on. They are extremely important. The protocols and understanding of major incidents like these need to be understood, but the investment needs to happen. I absolutely support the flood relief scheme in Enniscorthy and in the other areas because I have seen the benefit in Ennis of the investment in recent years. It has really worked. There are many parts of our coastline that are vulnerable, and they need hundreds of millions of euro of investment. I believe we need to substantially increase investment in coastal protection. I am sure there are many projects in the Minister of State's constituency. We are an island nation, and we need to protect our coastal communities. They are an important tourism product.”
“It was a time when there were not resources in the country in the way there are today, but they were found. I am glad to say that the end result in terms of the facilities now available in Lahinch in the context of the streetscape, promenade, sporting facilities and playgrounds and rock armouring is way ahead of what was there before 2014. There was €12 million spent on rock armouring at the time and between €8 million and €10 million was spent on the streetscape, promenade, railings and lifeguard facilities. Another €7 million or €8 million was spent between the playground and the leisure centre. It is wonderful now to see it, particularly last weekend with people using it on a nice, calm Sunday. The point I will make is that coastal protection is not at the level it really needs to be at.”
“As Members of the Oireachtas, we should be aware of those protocols because clearly we are leaders in our communities. When natural disasters like the most recent one happen, the people called in to comment and to act as liaisons and advocates for communities are Members of the Oireachtas and councillors. We need to be on top of these issues ahead of it happening, so we have a clear understanding of what happens and what is expected of us. In scenarios like this everyone clubs together. I experienced that in a direct way on 4 January 2014 when Lahinch, County Clare, along with much of the coast of the west of Ireland was hammered with massive waves. The damage done to the streetscape, the promenade, homes and facilities along the west coast, particularly in Lahinch and other parts of County Clare, was immense.”
“I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, to the House. The Minister, Deputy Browne, was also welcome to the House. I know Storm Chandra has had a significant effect in the Minister's constituency. I raise an issue on which I called for a debate ahead of the most recent flooding. I have been looking for a debate on this issue for a long time because I believe the protocols need to be re-examined and I am glad that is happening. I do not believe the necessary joined-up thinking exists between Met Éireann, the local authorities, the emergency response group and Government in general. When an emergency happens, they all click into place and they do a good job, by and large. Given what we have experienced in recent years, that needs to be homed in on and fine-tuned. Clear and understandable protocols need to exist.”
“I know older people who have suffered a lot and then get shingles and suffer a whole lot more. It is protracted and lasts a long time. I put it to the Minister of State that as a society we should be engaging in preventative mechanisms in every way we can. I often talk about people going and getting their eyes checked on a regular basis. For four out of every five people who suffer sight loss in this country it is preventable if it is caught in time. We need to really embrace preventative medicine and ways of preventing sickness and illness. Vaccines is a no-brainer. As I said, when we have a population who are not sceptical about vaccines we should be embracing that and we should be making them available.”